Produce canning machine



Apnf114, 1942.

PRODUCE cANNING MACHINE .Y Filed May 1o, 1958 ATTORNEY.

M. yNc. GRDON l 2,279,371

Patented Apr. 14, 1942 Melvin colin Gerson, Lincoln, Calif., assigner in Lincoln Packing Co., Lincoln, Calif., a corporation of California Application May 10, 193s, serial No. 207,055

(c1. zeef-a6) 1 claim.

`typical use is Well exemplified in connection with half peaches. Peaches for canning are customarily pitted and cut into halves; `Alter the skin is removed, the halves are put into cans by hand,

`each Worker having a small but periodically replenished supply of peach halves available.v Each fruit half is picked up by hand and placed inside of the open can. When a selected number of halves have been arranged in the can, the can is passed on to the next operation.

It is an object of my invention to provide a produce canning machine which obviates a great deal of hand Work in lling cans.

Another object of my invention is to provide a produce canning machine which produces a lled can of substantially the same arrangement as one filled by hand.

Another object of my invention is to provide a produce canning machine which does not injure or deleteriously affect the produce.

The foregoing and other objects are attained in the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawing, in Which- Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic or schematic plan of a produce canning machine constructed in accordance with my invention and incorporated in a canning arrangement;

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectionthe plane of which is indicated by the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

In the preferred form of the invention which has been successfully utilized in conjunction with the packing of peach halves, I provide a produce canning machine 6 at a suitable location in the work space. The machine includes a suitable pedestal 1 which is stationary but at its top is provided with a rotatable head 8 driven, for ex- L- ample, by a shaft 9 through suitable gearing II and I2. The rotatable head terminates in a circular table I3, preferably fabricated of a sheet of stainless or acid-proof material formed to provide a centrally depressed basin I4. Surrounding the central basin I4 is a ring I6 of apertures I1 each of which is preferably bounded by a rounded, downturned lip I8 of appropriate size just to t witllin the interior of a can I9 to be l lled.

As the vtable vI3 revolves, cans I9 are successively fed theretofrom a feeding line 20 `extending from any suitable source to the table I3 and along which the cans are rolled in a horizontal position by a suitably driven can contacting fabric belt 2l. The cans are turned by the customary spiral frame 22 and are received in upright position under the table and upon a circular plate 23` in registry with the apertures I1,-being so aligned by concavities 24 suitably spaced around the periphery of an aligning member 26 rotating with the head portion 8. The cans I9 do not rest directly upon the plate 23 in their alignment with the apertures I1, but rather each can rests upon .the enlarged top 21 of a plunger 28 which is in alignment with an adjacent one of the apertures I1 and ordinarily is urged into smooth surface continuity with the plate 23 by a spring 29.

Thus, a-s a can I9 is discharged by the conveyor 2I it is received on a top 21 in vertical registry with an aperture I1 on the revolving table I2 and is held in such registry by an aligning concavity 24. As the plate 23 rotates with the table I3, a head 3I on the plunger 28 engages an incline 32 on a ring cam 33 held by radial arms 34 on the stationary pedestal 1. As the can I9 revolves with the table, the top 21 is raised gradually, the can during this time being held in alignment by the concavity 24, until such time as the top of the can I9 ts around the depressed v lip I8. 'Ihe can is thus held for a large part of' its rotation with the table in substantial abutment with and in continuity with the rim of the aperture I1.

In order to ll the cans so held, I provide a produce conveyor 36, which preferably comprises a belt conveyor arranged to discharge onto the table I3 in the immediate vicinity of certain of the apertures I1, so that peach halves, for example, discharging from the conveyor 36 fall by gravity directly through the apertures I1 into the cans I9 held therebelow. The cans are thus almost immediately lled with peach halves by gravity discharge, but the supply of peach halves is preferably such that there are some which travel over the ring of apertures I1 and accumulate in the basin I4. The producein this instance, peach halves-is conned generally to the table, however, by a guard band 31 which extends about the circumference of the table I3, being supported by suitable arms 38 extending from the arms 34.

As the cans advance during the revolution of the table I3 past the conveyor 39, they pass by an operating station, generally designated 39,

whereat is located an operator who, by visual inspection, determines the amount of produce in the individual cans and, if there is a surplusage, pushes the protruding produce into the central basin I4, or, if there is a shortage, scrapes or pulls extra peach halves from the basin I4 into the partially lled can. Preferably, as the cans advance` farther, an operator at a second operating station, generally designated 4I,` inspects the lled can, in the case of peaches making sure that the top half is turned with its con-H jl which tends to revolve on the top ofthe table I3 is swept inwardly toward the basin I4 and is prevented from advancing over any apertures I1 which have no cans beneath them.

Filled cans which lare received on the disc conveyor 44 are propelled in a sinuous path defined by extensions of the straps 43 and by companion `straps 4'1, over successive discs 48 and the like,

cavity downward since such is the prefera'ble;r

pack, andeither turning the uppermost-peach half in such direction or, if. necessary, placing a peach half from the basin I4 intothe top ofY the lled can with the concavity downward.

After the filled cans pass the operating station until theyvare nally discharged into an instrumentality, such as a syruper 49, for further operation upon the lled cans. Preferably, the linear extent of the disc conveyor comprised of the discs 44, 48 and the like is considerable, so

that the produce will have ample time to be settledlinthe Acansbefore syrup is added thereto, andtalsoiinV order that in the event there should -be some stoppage lin the subsequent operation 49,

4I they are lowered out of contactwith the upper' plate I3 since the follower 3| rides 01T the finall end 42 of the cam 33, so that, under the innu- Vence of the spring 29, the can I9 lowers, with its bottomV flush with the top of the plate23.y The filled can I9-is then free to leave the machine, which it is forced to do under the guidance of a "pair of straps 43 which engage the can and 'divert it onto the initial disc 44 of a disc conveyor.

Sincethe filled cans leave thedisc 23 andare removed from registry with the apertures I1" at a point adjacent to the disc conveyor 44, I providermeans for diverting produce from certain of the apertures I1 which have'no cans in registry therewith, and for that reason, and also in order to prevent any cans leaving the machine in overlledY condition, I providea deecting means` 46 in the shape of an extension ofthe guard'band 31 which extends inwardly substantially tangent to the circular basin I4, so 'that any produce yfor examplefthe produce canning machine 6 can Vsome to pass through and some to pass over'adjacent ones ofsaid vapertures and into saidbasin, and means including a stationary barrier extending from theedge of said table tothe margin of said basin for deecting said'produce from others of said apertures into said basin away from said ring of apertures. i? 1 MELVIN COLIN GORDON'' 

